Central Illinois is under active severe weather this morning, with Tornado Watch 340 in effect through 3 PM CDT for nearly half the counties in the state while simultaneous Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are tracking east through Decatur, Pontiac and the central Illinois corridor.
Tornado Watch 340: 47 Illinois Counties and Northeast Missouri
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center issued Tornado Watch 340 through 3 PM CDT Wednesday covering 47 Illinois counties and two Missouri counties. The Illinois coverage spans from Peoria and Tazewell in the northwest to Champaign, Vermilion and Iroquois in the east and Adams, Pike and Calhoun along the Mississippi River — a broad swath of central, west-central and east-central Illinois including McLean, Macon, Sangamon, Logan, Menard, Morgan, Woodford and Livingston counties.
In Missouri, the watch extends to Clark and Scotland counties. The watch means atmospheric conditions are favorable for tornado development — “tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms,” the NWS Lincoln office warned. If a tornado warning is issued, take shelter immediately.
Active Severe Thunderstorm Warnings at 10:40 AM
Macon, Piatt, De Witt and Moultrie counties are under a warning with 60 mph wind gusts and penny-size hail, with a tornado possible. Storms were moving east at 40 mph from near Weldon toward Decatur, tracking through Mount Zion, Forsyth, Long Creek, Monticello and Bement — including the Clinton Power Station and Clinton Lake State Recreation Area.
Livingston County from the NWS Chicago office is under a warning through 11 AM CDT, threatening Pontiac, Fairbury, Chatsworth, Forrest, Flanagan and Odell with 60 mph gusts. Northeastern McLean County is warned until 11 AM CDT for 60 mph gusts along I-55 between mile markers 176 and 187. A warning for Menard, Logan and Sangamon counties was allowed to expire as storms weakened, though gusty winds and heavy rain remain possible.
What the Tornado Watch Means for the Rest of the Day
The watch runs through 3 PM — nearly four more hours of favorable tornado conditions. Anyone in the 47-county watch zone should identify their shelter location now — basement, storm cellar or interior room on the lowest floor. Have a weather alert device active to catch any tornado warning immediately.
Stay off I-55 in McLean County and I-39 in the area until active warnings clear. Flooding is also possible with any storms that develop. Monitor weather.gov/ilx and weather.gov/lot for continuous updates through the afternoon.
